Compliance Resources

The following agencies and offices provide compliance resources for small businesses:

Bureau of Administration
The Bureau of Administration provides support programs to the Department of State and U.S. embassies and consulates.

Bureau of African Affairs
The Bureau of African Affairs advises the Secretary and guides the operation of the U.S. diplomatic establishment in the countries of sub-Saharan Africa.

Office of Allowances
The Office of Allowances in the Bureau of Administration, develops and coordinates policies, regulations, standards, and procedures to administer the government-wide allowances and benefits program abroad under the Department of State Standardized Regulations -- DSSR -- (Government Civilians, Foreign Areas).

Document Authentication Services (Dept. of State)
The Authentications Office receives a variety of documents from commercial organizations, private citizens, and officials of the Federal and State Governments. The Office is responsible for issuing certificates under the Seal of the Department of State. It also ensures that the requested information will serve in the interest of justice and is not contrary to U.S. policy.

Counterterrorism Office
The Counterterrorism Office coordinates all U.S. Government efforts to improve counterterrorism cooperation with foreign governments and participates in the development, coordination, and implementation of American counterterrorism policy.

Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization
The purpose of the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization is to lead, coordinate and institutionalize U.S. Government civilian capacity to prevent or prepare for post-conflict situations, and to help stabilize and reconstruct societies in transition from conflict or civil strife, so they can reach a sustainable path toward peace, democracy and a market economy.

Office of Civil Rights
advises and assists the Secretary of State and other principal officers of the Department in carrying out their responsibilities relative to Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other laws, executive orders, and regulatory guidelines affecting affirmative employment and non-discrimination in the Federal sector.

Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL)
The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) is committed to supporting and promoting democracy programs throughout the world. As the nation's primary democracy advocate, DRL is responsible for overseeing the Human Rights and Democracy Fund (HRDF), which was established in 1998 to address human rights and democratization emergencies. DRL uses resources from the HRDF, as well as those allocated to Regional Democracy Funds, to support democratization programs such as election monitoring and parliamentary development.

Bureau of Diplomatic Security
The Bureau of Diplomatic Security is responsible for providing a safe and Bureau of Diplomatic Security for the conduct of U.S. foreign policy.

Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs
The Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs implements U.S. foreign policy in Europe and Eurasia. The Bureau promotes U.S. interests in the region on issues such as national security, NATO enlargement, coordination with the European Union and other regional organizations, support for democracy, human rights, civil society, economic prosperity, the war on terrorism, and nonproliferation.

Foreigh Service
The Foreign Service Institute is the Federal Government's primary training institution for officers and support personnel of the U.S. foreign affairs community, preparing American diplomats and other professionals to advance U.S. foreign affairs interests overseas and in Washington.

Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator
The U. S. Global AIDS Coordinator's mission is to lead implementation of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. The Emergency Plan embraces all resources and international activities of the U.S. Government to combat the global HIV/AIDS pandemic, including both U.S. bilateral programs and U.S. contributions to multilateral initiatives.

Bureau of Information Resource Management
The Bureau of Information Resource Management provides the information technology and services the Department needs to successfully carry out its foreign policy mission.

Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL)
The Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) advises the President, Secretary of State, other bureaus in the Department of State, and other departments and agencies within the U.S. Government on the development of policies and programs to combat international narcotics and crime.

Bureau of International Organization Affairs (IO)
The Bureau of International Organization Affairs develops and implements U.S. policy in the UN and other international organizations and works to advance U.S. interests through multilateral diplomacy.

Office of the Legal Adviser
The Office of the Legal Adviser, headed by John B. Bellinger III, furnishes advice on all legal issues, domestic and international, arising in the course of the Department's work. This includes assisting Department principals and policy officers in formulating and implementing the foreign policies of the United States, and promoting the development of international law and its institutions as a fundamental element of those policies.

Bureau of Legislative Affairs (H)
The Bureau of Legislative Affairs (H) is a service organization. We coordinate legislative activity for the Department of State and advise the Secretary of State and the State Department team on legislative strategy. We facilitate effective communication between the diplomatic professionals of the Department of State and members of Congress and their staffs.

Office of Management Policy
The Office of Management Policy (M/P) serves as a focal point for management improvement initiatives by providing dedicated policy and analytical support to the Under Secretary for Management (M). M/P coordinates cross-cutting management policy issues, including the Department's response to the President's Management Agenda.

Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO)
The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) directs the worldwide overseas buildings program for the Department of State and the U.S. Government community serving abroad under the authority of the chiefs of mission. In concert with other State Department bureaus, foreign affairs agencies, and Congress, OBO sets worldwide priorities for the design, construction, acquisition, maintenance, use, and sale of real properties and the use of sales proceeds.

Policy Planning Staff (S/P)
The Policy Planning Staff (S/P) serves as a source of independent policy analysis and advice for the Secretary of State. The Policy Planning Staff's mission is to take a longer term, strategic view of global trends and frame recommendations for the Secretary of State to advance U.S. interests and American values.

Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM)
The Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM) is the principal link between the Departments of State and Defense. The Bureau provides policy direction in the areas of international security, security assistance, military operations, defense strategy and policy, military use of space, and defense trade.

Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration
The Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration has primary responsibility for formulating policies on population, refugees, and migration, and for administering U.S. refugee assistance and admissions programs.

Office of the Chief of Protocol
The Office of the Chief of Protocol advises, assists, and supports the President of the United States, the Vice President, and the Secretary of State on official matters of national and international protocol, ensuring that the accepted rules of conduct in every capital of the world are implemented.

Bureau of Public Affairs
The Bureau of Public Affairs carries out the Secretary's mandate to help Americans understand the importance of foreign affairs. The PA Bureau vigorously pursues the State Department's mission to inform the American people and to feed their concerns and comments back to the policymakers.

Office of the Science & Technology Adviser
The Adviser's mission derives from the widely recognized fact that science and technology are ubiquitous to the functioning of the modern world and the framing and execution of domestic policies and international relations. Science and technology -- the engines of modern industrial economies -- are seminal to international cooperation and are the "bricks and mortar" of the three pillars of national security -- intelligence, diplomacy and military readiness.

Bureau of South Asian Affairs
The Bureau of South Asian Affairs deals with U.S. foreign policy and U.S. relations with the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

Bureau of Verification, Compliance, and Implementation (VCI)
The Bureau of Verification, Compliance, and Implementation (VCI) provides oversight of both policy and resources of all matters relating to verification of compliance with international arms control, nonproliferation, and disarmament agreements and commitments.

Office of War Crimes Issues
The Office of War Crimes Issues advises the Secretary of State directly and formulates U.S. policy responses to atrocities committed in areas of conflict and elsewhere throughout the world. The Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes issues has available a range of diplomatic, legal, economic, military, and intelligence tools to help secure peace and stability and build the rule of law. Since September 11, 2001, the office has played a key diplomatic role with foreign governments whose nationals have been captured in the war on terror. The office also has primary responsibility for policy on Iraqi war crimes.

Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs
The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs (EB) formulates and carries out U.S. foreign economic policy, integrating U.S. economic interests with our foreign policy goals so that U.S. firms and investors can compete on an equal basis with their counterparts overseas.

Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA)
The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) fosters mutual understanding between the United States and other countries through international educational and training programs. The bureau does so by promoting personal, professional, and institutional ties between private citizens and organizations in the United States and abroad, as well as by presenting U.S. history, society, art and culture in all of its diversity to overseas audiences.

Bureau of Human Resources
The Bureau of Human Resources handles recruitment, assignment evaluation, promotion, discipline, career development, and retirement policies and programs for the Department's Foreign and Civil Service employees.

Bureau of Resource Management (RM)
The Bureau of Resource Management (RM) assists foreign affairs agency heads with developing policies, plans, and programs to achieve foreign policy goals. The Assistant Secretary of RM and Chief Financial Officer also coordinates resource requirements to enable the Secretary of State to present integrated International Affairs resource submissions to the Office of Management and Budget and to the Congress.

Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs
The Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs is responsible for managing and promoting U.S. interests in the region by supporting democracy, trade, and sustainable economic development, and fostering cooperation on issues such as drug trafficking and crime, poverty reduction, and environmental protection.